Over the past week a number of people have expressed their astonishment to me about the revelations in the Channel 4 Dispatches programme that senior SNP politicians had tried to silence businesses and academics who raised concerns over Scotland’s potential separation from the rest of Britain.

Everyone seems to be familiar with the hostile reaction JK Rowling faced after she wrote a piece in support of the Better Together campaign. However, far fewer people seem to know about the online abuse aimed at companies in Scotland who have spoken out about their concerns over separation.

The fact is, though, that many of these major employers have been subjected to attacks on social media and been threatened with boycotts for daring to express an opinion.

Locally, the story is very much the same.

Recently, my Westminster colleague Jim Murphy was in Burnbank to speak to local people in the street but nationalists had organised themselves to turn up and try to shout him down.

People, some with children, who had stopped to hear Jim’s views were driven away by the hostility of some of the YES supporters who were so intent on baying at the opposition that they seemed oblivious to the effect they were having.

A number of local employers have raised their concerns with me about the impact separation would have on their business.

They are worried, though, about divulging these views having seen the abuse other employers have been subjected to.

When I am talking to people the most important issues for them are about what impact separation would have on the economy, on jobs, the cost of mortgages and what the price of a weekly shop would cost, so people need to hear from businesses, academics and legal experts. However, these people and bodies are being silenced by the nationalists.

Even some who have given evidence to committees in the Scottish Parliament have been shouted down by SNP MSPs and stopped from giving their opinions.

The SNP are simply preventing the people with the answers from airing them and that can’t be allowed to continue.

The decision we make in September doesn’t just impact on this generation but also future generations.

Therefore, it’s crucial that we hear from local employers about the impact that separation would have on the economy, from trade unions regarding the impact on jobs and from academics about what walking away from the UK would mean for the quality of the excellent universities that we have and want to see local young people attending.

It’s completely unacceptable that we are in the position where people are left scared to speak out about such an important issue.

After all, this is a decision for the people of Scotland to make and, with it being irreversible, we need to get it right. Therefore, it is equally important that businesses, charities and trade unions are able to speak out without the fear of threats and abuse so people can get all the information that they need.